Automatic door-closing device.



No. 826,574. I PATBNTED JULY 24, 1906.

v F. HUDSON.

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING DEVICE. 'n'rmoumn FILED 110mm,- 1905.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wasumcnm, D c.

PATENTED JULY 24,1906.

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F. HUDSON. AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING DEVIGE.

APYLIOATIOH FILED NOV, 13, 1905.

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THE NORRIS P'ErcRs PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13. 1905.

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TH NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, 04 c.

No. 826,574; PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

- F. HUDSON.

AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1905.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co.. WASHINGTON, u. c.

PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

7P. HUDSON. AUTOMATIC D0011 CLOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1906.

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T"! Norms FITIR! cm, wnsnmarcu, D. c.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HUDSON, OF FAIRVIEW, CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COBURNTROLLEY TRACK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF VVIL- LIMANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS,A CORPORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

Application filed November 13,1905. Serial No. 287,117.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnANoIs HUDSON, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Fairview, Chicopee, in the county of Hampden andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Door-Closing Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the class of automatic door-closing devices,and has for its object to quickly and safely close the passagewayleading from one room or apartment to another in order to prevent thespread of flames soon after the fire originates.

The invention broadly consists in providing means to close a door ordoors when the temperatureof the room reaches a certain critical pointas determined by the melting point of a fusible strip of any materialsuitable for the purpose which normally suspends a weight and puts intooperation the automatic door-closing devices. When this weight isreleased and the device is started, a second weight falls and closes asecond door in case two doors are used.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a sideelevation showing a doorway with the doors open and the device normallyat rest. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the dotted line 2 2 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the devicewhen used for two doors. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5is a plan of the structure shown in Fi 3. Fig. 6 shows the device afterthe fusible metal has released one of the weights and started one of thedoors. Fig. 7 shows the device after both weights have fallen. Figs. 8and 9 are detail views of the device. Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 aremodifications for use when only one door is to be closed. Fig. 14 showsin side elevation the modification used to close one door. Fig. 15 showsa horizontal sectional view on line 15 15 of Fig. 14 of the modifiedform.

Referring to the drawings, (1. indicates a part of the structure of thebuilding; I) b, the doors c, the casting, which carries the ropepulleysand is secured to the door-frame and also supports the cam-diskhereinafter referred to.

d designates a wire secured at one end at tance of the floor.

the point e to the door-frame and connected at its other end to a hookhaving an eye f, secured to the cam-piece g. This piece isrotatablymounted on the shaft 1), which is preferably made of brass tubing toprevent rust interfering with the operation of the cam. Integrally castwith the cam-piece g is a hook t. Normally supported from this hook i isa weight j by means of an eyebolt j.

k designates a rope which is secured at one end to the door I) at theleft of Fig. 1 by means of any suitable bracket or arm 7c and passesover a pulley m, secured on the opposite side of the door-frame, andfrom thencepasses over the sheave-wheel n (shown in Figs. 3, 5, 6,and 7)and downwardly to within a short dis- Secured by a set-screw on the freeend of this rope is a block 0, and immediately above this block is astop-block p, through which the rope 7c loosely passes.

The weight 3', mentioned above, when released from the hook i on therotatable cam g by reason of the parting or breaking of the fusiblestrip of metal (1 in the wire d drops and slides freely down the rope70, as shown in Fig. 6, striking the stop-block p and trans ferring itsweight to the rope 7c, thus closing the door 1). (Shown at the left ofFig. 2 in the dotted-line position.) In this position the door I)strikes the pivoted lever-arm r. This lever is pivoted at r to a slidingpiece 1. Normally the lever-arm r is in the inclined position shown inFig. 3. The pivot-pin at r is preferably made of brass to prevent rust.

The weight 7' in falling instantly imparts to the rotatable cam g arotary movement, which rotary movement is stopped by the shoulder g,Figs. 1, 3, 6, and .7. The cam g lifts the pivoted lever-arm-r into ahorizontal position, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Upon the door strikingthe arm in this position the same is pushed forward, as shown in Fig. 7,through the casting c, bringing the slot 8 in the other member r of thelever opposite the arm 1- on the opposite side of the casting c. Thisarm t is integral with a hub 11., rotatably mounted on the opposite endof the shaft 12 from the cam g. At right angles with the arm t is aweight-supporting arm to, also integral with the hub 1.0. When the slot.9 is pushed inby the door I) opposite the arm t, which is normally heldfrom rotation by the end a: of the other member r of the lever, theweight 7 which is supported on the weightsupporting arm to, is releasedand slides freely down the rope z, striking the stopblock 2, which issupported in the same manner and for the same purpose as the block 1),heretofore referred to. This rope .2 passes freely over a secondsheave-wheel 3, which is carried on the shaft 1). (Clearly shown inFigs. 3, 5, 6, and 7.) Thence it passes to the second door 6, to whichit is secured, as shown at the right of Figs. 1 and 2. The weight 1]thus closes the other door.

The modified arrangement whereby only one door is closed is shown inFigs. 10 to 15, inclusive. Referring to Fig. 14, the rope 4 is securedat one end to the door 5 and passes over a sheave-wheel 6, thencedownwardly, and carries a stop-block 7 at its lower end, as describedabove. The reference-numeral 8 indicates the wire secured at one end tothe door-casing and at its opposite end to an arm 10, as shown in Fig.13, and normally supporting the weight 11, as shown in Figs. 12 and 14.The weight 11 is normally supported by an eyepiece 13 011 the hooked arm14, which is cast integral with the hub 15, which is loosely mounted onthe shaft 16, which extends through two arms 17, that are cast integralwith the back piece 18, having holes 19 drilled therein for the purposeof securing the same to the door-frame. Loosely mounted on the shaft 16is a sheave-wheel 6, over which passes the rope 4, one end of which issecured to the door 5, heretofore mentioned. When the fusible strip 12is melted, the weight 11 is released from the arm 14, allowing the sameto fall or slide freely down the rope 4, striking the stopblock 7, andtransferring its Weight to the rope 4, thus closing the door 5. Integralwith the casting 20 are burs 21, adapted to be driven into the woodworkfor rigidly holding the lower end of the casting 20 from lateralmovement.

The shaft 0, referred to above, is prefer-- ably made of steel tubingcovered with a thin brass tubing, the inner steel tube furnishing therequired strength, while the outer tubing (of brass) prevents anypossibility of the parts becoming rigidly secured by rust or corrosion,as would be the case if the brass tubing were not used.

It is of course obvious that the ropes used are made of Wire, or an ironchain may be used, in order that the same may not be destroyed by thefire and prevent the operation of the device at the critical moment whenthe flames start.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an automatic door-closing device, a casting, two arms integraltherewith, a shaft passing through said arms, a pulley located on theshaft, a hub located at one side of one of said arms and carrying twoarms at right angles to said hub.

2. In an automatic door-closing device, a casting, a shaft looselymounted in said casting, pulleys loosely mounted on said shaft, arotatable cam loosely mounted at one end of said shaft, a lever pivotedabove said cam and normally engaging said rotatable cam in an inclinedposition, and means for rotating said cam.

3. In an automatic door-closing device, a casting, means for securingsaid casting to a fixed support, a pivoted lever slidably mountedtherein, said lever being normally in aninclined position, a membercarried by said casting and pivotally secured to said first-mentionedlever, and means for bringing said lever into alinement with saidmember.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casting, ashaft loosely carried thereby, a rotatable cam .loosely carried on oneend of said shaft, a hub loosely carried on the opposite end of saidshaft, said hub having an arm and a weight-supporting arm at rightangles to each other and integral therewith, a pulley or sheave-wheeladj acent said hub, weights normally suspended by said rotatable cam andsaid weight-supporting arm, and means for releasing said weights.

5. In an automatic door-closing device in combination, a door-frame,doors pivoted thereto at opposite sides of the same, two ropes, securedat one end to opposite doors and passing in opposite directions overpulleys supported on said door-frame, stopblocks on the freeend of saidropes, a casting rigidly secured on one side of said doorframe, saidcasting loosely carrying a shaft, and pulleys loosely mounted on saidshaft one of said pulleys being located substantially midway the lengthof said shaft, the other of said pulleys being located near one end ofsaid shaft, a rotatable cam loosely mounted on said shaft and having aweightsupporting arm and a weight carried thereby, an abutment on saidrotatable cam, a slideway in said casting, a member slidable therein, alever loosely pivoted to said slidable member and normally resting in aninclined position upon said rotatable cam, a slot or cut-out portion insaid member, a part of said member normally extending beyond thecasting, a hub loosely mounted on said shaft and carrying an armnormally engaging the extended end of said member, a Weight-supportingarm at right angles to said arm, and a Weight carried thereby, a wire,one end of which is fixedly secured to said door-frame, the other end ofwhich is secured to an eyebolt in said rotatable cam, a strip of fusiblematerial in said Wire whereby when the fusibring the arm into alinementwith said slot ble material in said Wire is melted the first wherebysaid second Weight is released and of said Weights is released causingthe rotacauses the second door to be closed.

table cam to lift the lever into a horizontal FRANCIS HUDSON. 5 positionin alinement With said member and Witnesses:

permitting one of said doors to push said le- HENRY A. CHAPIN,

Ver and member in a horizontal direction and HARRY W. BOWEN.

